Delightful Romp Features a Fun Amelia Earhart-Themed Mystery

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Amelia "Millie" Ashford is stoked when she wins a fabulous prize—along with five other girls, she gets to spend the night in the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas.  The 11-year-old Rubik's Cube champion has no friends, an absent mother (who's a pilot, like Earhart), and a fascination with the famous aviatrix.  She needs this diverting opportunity to socialize, immerse herself in history, and maybe learn enough about Earhart—her mom's idol—to bring her own missing pilot home.  

When a scavenger hunt is announced, giving Millie and the other girls a chance to take a close-up look at artifacts throughout the museum, Millie's excited.  She's even more thrilled when she comes upon a roped-off room where Earhart's flight goggles are being stored before being transferred to a Washington, D.C., museum.  When the priceless goggles go missing, however, Millie's as shocked as everyone else.  Fingers start pointing in her direction, reminding Millie that she's surrounded by strangers—one of whom is a thief!  It's up to her and the other girls to find out who's hiding the precious artifact.  As a winter storm rages outside and tension mounts inside, the stakes get higher and higher.  How far will the robber go to smuggle the goggles out of the museum?  Can six middle-schoolers (one of whom is the likely kleptomaniac) find the culprit in time?  Or will an irreplaceable piece of history be smuggled out right under their noses?  With no way to call for outside help, it's up to the Amelia Six to solve the mystery.

I love me a good, old-fashioned locked-room mystery.  The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray is just that, complete with the requisite stormy weather, mysterious house, and quirky characters.  Filled with Amelia Earhart trivia, a girl-power vibe, and plenty of surprises, it's a fun, entertaining read.  Realistic?  Not so much.  And yes, the girls talk like senior citizens (no 11-year-old says "May I ..." let alone "Oh,crumb") and indeed, some of them are fairly indistinguishable from the others.  Overall, though, the book stars an engaging detective team and features an engrossing tale.  Not only did I learn a lot about Earhart from this enjoyable romp, but I also found it to be a delightful read that kept me turning pages with a smile on my face.  

(Readalikes:  I can't think of anything.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for scary situations and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find